1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to toys that are spring loaded and pop up into the air when activated. More particularly, the present invention relates to toys that contain a hemispherical structure that is inverted to store the spring energy needed to pop the toy into the air.
2. Prior Art Description
Rubber balls have been commercially manufactured for well over a century. The original rubber balls were made from two hemispherical pieces of rubber that were glued together to form the shape of the ball. As the balls were played with, it was not uncommon for the two halves of the ball to separate. A child, playing with the ball would then have two half balls. Half-balls were so common that many childhood games required the use of a “half ball”.
One game played with a half ball to invert the half ball so that it would pop. When a half ball is inverted it stores energy like a spring. If the inverted ball were dropped or touched, the half ball would pop back into its hemispherical shape, thereby releasing the stored energy. The popping action of the half ball would cause the half ball to fly up into the air.
Recognizing the play value of half balls, toy manufacturers began to manufacture half balls and configure the half balls to optimize the popping action. Such half balls are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,153,957 to Davis, entitled Jumping ball, which was patented in 1938. In more modern times, secondary objects, such as dolls and superheroes have been attached to half balls. In this manner, when the half ball pops and flies into the air, so does the toy character. Half balls that carry secondary characters are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,538 to Willett, entitled Pop-Action Bouncing Doll.
Half ball popping toys have certain problems that are inherent with their design. If a half ball is made from a material that is too thick or has too high a durometer, then the half ball will not remain inverted for long. As soon as the half ball is inverted, the half ball begins to bend back toward its original hemispherical shape. The half ball will therefore pop back into its hemispherical shape only a few moments after it is inverted. If a half ball is made too thin or with a material that has too low a durometer, then the half ball will not store much energy when it is inverted. The half ball will, therefore, not pop back into its original hemispherical shape with much energy and the toy will not pop into the air.
To avoid these problems, toy manufacturers usually balance material thickness and durometer to create a half ball that remains in an inverted shape indefinitely, yet stores enough energy to actively pop once triggered. In order to trigger the inverted half ball, the half ball must be dropped or momentarily pressed. Pressing an inverted half ball is problematic, seeing that the hand used to press the inverted half ball usually gets in the way of the half ball when it suddenly pops. Dropping a half ball is equally problematic, seeing that the half ball will only activate if it strike the ground flush on its base or upon its apex. If the half ball strikes the ground at an angle, the energy of the impact does not act to change the configuration of the half ball and the half ball remains inverted.
A need therefore exists for a half ball configuration that can be set into an inverted position indefinitely, yet can be caused to pop back into its original hemispherical shape with far more consistency and predictability than is available in the prior art. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.